Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto: Two

Rebecca Varidel
7th Aug 2018

“Ryuichi Sakamoto is one of the all-time greats and 43 years into his ambitious, virtuosic and internationally lauded career, his towering presence over contemporary music remains as commanding as ever. "

"For the very first time, the maestro is appearing in Sydney with perhaps his most intimate collaborator, the formidable electronic artist Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto). Their current work Two is a pulsing, immersive live performance that melds visuals, electronics and instrumentation into one of the most precise, beautiful and magnetic pieces you will experience anywhere this year." advised Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall

New York-based pioneering Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto first came to attention as one third of electro-pop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra (formed in 1978) and has played a pivotal role in the development of synth-pop, techno and house genres. Alva Noto, also known as Carsten Nicolai is a German musician and sound experimentalist. Working in the field of electronic music, Noto creates his own code of signs, acoustics and visual symbols.

Ryuichi Sakamoto and German experimental electronic musician Alva Noto (aka Carsten Nicolai) will bring their blend of minimal piano and glitch beats to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall stage on October 21, presenting recordings from their recent collaborative album Glass.

As composer, performer, producer and activist, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s remarkable solo résumé is as acclaimed and diverse as his list of musical collaborators: Brian Wilson, Iggy Pop, Brian Eno, Youssou N’Dour and Laurie Anderson among many others. In October, Sakamoto’s most recent and enduring musical collaboration with German artist and musician Alva Noto will deliver a special performance in the stunning surrounds of the Concert Hall that combines improvised and new material and brings to life their seamless synergy.

Spanning 15 years, this unique collaboration between two pioneering artists initially began as a sharing of files and has since fashioned an exquisite collaborative score for Academy Award-winning film The Revenant, unmissable live events and six albums including Glass, their improvised ambient recording from a 2016 site-specific performance at Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House in Connecticut.

Tickets go on sale this Friday August 10.